In the hospitality market, it is highly desirable to be able to make curtains and bedspreads which have good aesthetic values, yet has no pilling or snagging, and overall excellent performance characteristics. Cotton and spun polyester fabrics have good hand but during wear produce fuzzing and pilling. One hundred percent false twist filament polyester products do not significantly pill or fuzz, but do cause snagging (picking) in continued usage. The polyester filament products according to the invention, on the other hand, produce a surface effect that combines the best of the above mentioned products, with no pilling or snagging, as well as having pleasing aesthetics and overall excellent performance. Products according to the invention have been tested through 50 commercial launderings without showing any wear or deterioration. The finished fabric according to the present invention when tested on a Kawabata testing system for aesthetic values, compared to 100% spun and 100% filament polyester fabrics, has more suppleness and drape, a higher co-efficient of friction and a much rougher surface (enhancing in bedspreads reduction in slippage when on a bed, and improving seam slippage in fabricating either bedspreads or curtains), a vast increase in pliability, resulting in better draping of curtains and forming of bedspreads, and excellent bending characteristics, emphasizing softness of hand and pliability.
According to one aspect of the present invention a method of providing a useful fabric is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Weaving on a loom, with a loom setting of between about 78%-88% of firm setting in the greige, a fabric using: a false twist textured polyester warp yarn, about 140-160 denier, preferably about 150 denier with about 55-65 (e.g. about 60) filaments in either single or 2-ply form; and an air textured polyester 2-ply or 3-ply about 140-160 denier, preferably about 150 denier weft yam with about 90-110, preferably about 100, filaments. And, (b) finishing the fabric from step (a).
Step (b) may be practiced by (b1) scouring, (b2) heat setting, and (b3) printing. Step (b1) is practiced on a jet, and step (b2) at a temperature of about 350.degree. or above. Alternatively step (b) is practiced by (b1) scouring on a continuous scouring range, (b2) dyeing on a jet dyeing machine, and (b3) heat setting. Alternatively step (b) is practiced by (b1) scouring, (b2) dyeing, and (b3) heating setting at a temperature of at least 350.degree. F., or scouring (b1), heat setting (b2), and printing (b3).
The method may comprise the further steps of: (c) Cutting and forming the fabric to produce curtains. And (d) suggesting to another that the curtains be hung adjacent a transparent or translucent structural element. Alternatively, the method may comprise the further steps of: (c) Cutting and forming the fabric to produce a bedspread. And (d) suggesting to another that the bedspread be placed on a mattress or other bed structure.
Steps (a) and (b) may be practiced to produce a fabric scoring between about 4.5 and 5.0 on each of random tumble, pilling, brush pilling, and Klopman method roughing and pilling, tests. Steps (a) and (b) may be further practiced to produce a fabric having a surface SMD of at least about 4.3 microns, a bending rigidity 2 HB of about 0.1 or less, a compressibility EMC % of less than about 28, a shearing stiffness G value of about 2 or less, and an extensibility EMT % of at least about 3.0.
According to another aspect of the present invention a method of providing a useful fabric is provided comprising the following steps: (a) Weaving a fabric from textured polyester warp and weft yams. (b) Scouring, printing or dyeing, and heat setting the fabric. And, (c) wherein steps (a) and (b) are practiced to produce a fabric scoring between about 4.5 and 5.0 on each of random tumble, pilling, brush pilling, and Klopman method roughing and pilling tests, and to produce a fabric having a surface SMD of at least about 4.3 microns, a bending rigidity 2 HB of about 0.1 or less, a compressibility EMC % of less than about 28, a shearing stiffness G value of about 2 or less, and an extensibility EMT % of at least about 3.0.
According to another aspect of the present invention a mounted curtain is provided comprising the following components: A woven body having false twist textured polyester warp yam, about 150 denier with about 55-65 filaments in either single or 2-ply form, and an air textured polyester 2 or 3 ply about 150 denier weft yam with about 100 filaments. Stitching and pleating forming the woven body into a curtain. And, curtain mounting hardware mounting the curtain adjacent a structural element. In the mounted curtain described above the fabric scores between about 4.5 and 5.0 on each of random tumble pilling, brush pilling, and Klopman method roughing and pilling tests, and also has aesthetic qualities described above. The invention also relates to a curtain produced according to the method steps as described above for producing curtains.
According to another aspect of the present invention a bedspread disposed on a mattress or other bed structure is provided comprising: A woven body having false twist textured polyester warp yarn, about 150 denier with about 55-65 filaments in either single or 2-ply form, and an air textured polyester 2 or 3 ply about 150 denier weft yarn with about 100 filaments. Stitching and hemming forming the woven body into a bedspread. And, the bedspread laid on a mattress or other bed structure. The fabric used to make the bedspread as described above has the aesthetic properties also described above, and is preferably produced by the method for making a bedspread also earlier described.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention a woven polyester fabric having textured warp and weft yams is provided wherein the fabric scores between about 4.5 and 5.0 on each of random tumble pilling, brush pilling, and Klopman method roughing and pilling tests, has a surface SMD of at least about 4.3 microns, a bending rigidity 2 HB of about 0.1 or less, a compressibility EMC % of less than about 28, a shearing stiffness G value of about 2 or less, and an extensibility EMT % of at least about 3.0. The fabric is typically printed or dyed.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a polyester fabric having no pilling or snagging along with pleasing aesthetics and overall excellent performance characteristics, and particularly desirable for the hospitality market, for making products directed to that market. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.